KeystoneState Boychoir Performance History

(updated 1.13.2009)
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KeystoneState Boychoir

Joseph P. Fitzmartin, Music Director

Steven M. Fisher, Associate Music Director

KSB was founded in 2001, and currently consists of 150 members between the ages of 8 and 18 from diverse backgrounds.

Performance History 2001 – 2009

Summary as of January 13, 2009

Annual Performances:

  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
  • Shabat Services at Keneseth Israel, ElkinsPark
  • AlumniService and Pancake Breakfast, First Presbyterian Church in Germantown (FPCG), Philadelphia
  • Wachovia Holiday Party, Philadelphia
  • Union League of PhiladelphiaHoliday Party
  • Glad Tidings Tour, including Staircase at City Hall, Philadelphia
  • KSB and Pennsylvania Girlchoir (PG) Annual Holiday Concert on the Square, Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia
  • KSB Holiday Concerts, December, FPCG, Philadelphia
  • Concert at the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia
  • Concert Series: Christmas Concert Oratory of St. Francis, Philadelphia
  • “KSB at the Shore,” Brigantine, New Jersey
  • Brown Bag Concert Series, Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia
  • Joint concert with West Philadelphia Children’s Choir, JamesRhoadesSchool
  • Commonwealth Youthchoirs Gala Concert, Perelman Theater at the KimmelCenter for the Performing Arts
  • Graduate Choir Concert,Germantown Friends Meeting House, Philadelphia
  • KSB Spring Concerts, First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Philadelphia
  • National Anthem at the 76er’s Game

Opera and Theatre:

  • January 4, 2009 “Amahl and the Night Visitors” , with Germantown Oratory Choir
  • June 15, 2008 Our Town, Arden Theatre, Philadelphia
  • Haensel and Gretel, with Opera Company of Philadelphia, 2008
  • La Bohème, with Opera Company of Philadelphia, October/November 2006
  • Carmen, with Opera Company of Philadelphia, 2005

Classical Collaborations:

  • Fauré Requiem, First Presbyterian Church in Germantown
  • Britten’s St. Nicolas Cantata with WestminsterChoirCollege, PrincetonUniversity, October 2007
  • Voices of the Future in Concert with SingingCity, FirstBaptistChurch, Philadelphia
  • Lord of the Rings Symphony with the Philadelphia Orchestra (2004, 2005)
  • Messiah with the Germantown Oratorio Choir and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
  • Carmina Burana with the Philadelphia Orchestra (2004)
  • St. Matthew Passion with the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia (2003)
  • The Wright Stuff Concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Verizon Hall (2003)
  • Gala Concert with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Union League (2003), Perelman Hall (2004)

Joint performances with Visiting Choirs:

  • Harvard Glee Club, Church of the Holy Trinity, March 2008
  • National Boys Choir of Australia, joint performance, FPCG, Oct. 2007
  • Hiroshima Boys’ Choir in Concert, Church of the Holy Trinity, March 2006

Inaugurations, Grand Openings, Award Ceremonies:

  • Fairmont Park Conservatory, 150th Anniversary, Governor Rendell honoree (2005)
  • Junior Achievement National Awards Ceremony, (2004)
  • WHYY Lifetime Learning Award Presentation to TomRidge, NationalConstitutionCenter (2004)
  • Inauguration of Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell (2003)
  • Special Emmy Awards presentation, Washington, DC (2003)
  • Performance on the floor of the Pennsylvania State Senate (2002)
  • Pennsylvania Society, New York City (2002)
  • Grand Opening of the IndependenceVisitorsCenter (2001)

Senior Centers:

  • Brittany Pointe Estate, Lansdale, Pennsylvania, 2008
  • Rydal Park Senior Home, 2007, 2008

Other Performances (excerpts):

  • Live from the Borgata Casino and Spa, Atlantic City, November2007 and December 2007
  • A Tribute to Mario Lanza with OceanCity Pops, Ocean City, New Jersey, September 2007
  • Strawberry Festival, PlymouthMeetingFriendsSchool, June 2007
  • Army/Navy Gala Event, PhiladelphiaConvention Center, December 2006
  • Tribute to September 11, with the OceanCity Pops, September 2006
  • National Anthem performance for Philadelphia International Cycling Championship, June 2006
  • Concert with Peter Yarrow, Mt. Airy, April 2006
  • Memorial Service for Prince Rainier of Monaco, St. Bridget’s, East Falls (2005)
  • Umcolo! Benefit Concert, St. Ignatius of AntiochChurch (2002)
  • Trump Marina Holiday Concert, Atlantic City (2001, 2002)

Festivals:

  • 2nd Annual Keystone State Boychoir Festival, “We are the Boys,” May 2008
  • “We are The Boys and We Sing,” ACDA-PA Boychoir Festival, May 2007
  • Children’s Choir Festival, Abington Presbyterian Church, April 2006
  • KSB festival featuring the Maryland State Boychoir, Newark Boys Chorus at First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, 2005
  • Summer Solstice Festival at the KimmelCenter for Performing Arts (2002)

Commissions:

  • The world premiere of CY’s first commissioned piece: Shehecheyanu: Prayer of Gratitude and Psalm 15: Haleluyah!, by Andrew Bleckner
  • The world-premiere of Edward Bilous’s Benedictus with the Choral Arts Society (2004)
  • The world-premiere of Howard Yermish’s Silver Reflections with the Choral Arts Society

Concert Tours and Performance Highlights:

2008 “Ties in Europe”(details at Tour Blog)

  • Monaco, Paris, Heidelberg, Speyer, Stuttgart, Bad Fuessing, Salzburg, Vienna, Sofia, Nesebar, Plovdiv

2007 Australia(hosted by Australian Youth Choir) details at

  • Melbourne, ASME Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Bathurst, Bundaberg

2006 Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia

  • Hanoi Opera House with the Vietnam Children’s Choir
  • Benefit concerts for the Karen tribe and the tsunami victims in Thailand
  • ISME World Conference and Philharmonik Hall, PetronasTowers in Malaysia

2005 Commemorating 60 years of peace between the US and Japan

Osaka, Kyoto, Mt.Koya, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Tokyo

  • 4th of July performance at the home of Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer
  • Joint concert with the Hiroshima Boys Choir

2004 Pacific Northwest Tour:Calgary, BanffVancouver, Canada; Anchorage, Denali, Seward,

  • Benefit concert to help keep music in the schools in Seward, Alaska

2003 Wild West Tour:Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas

  • Performance for Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman

2002 Brazil: Iguacu Falls, Rio de Janeiro, Ouro Preto, Manaus

  • Sold out performance at the Manaus Opera House

2001 South Africa:Cape Town, Knysna, Kimberley, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Soweto

  • Performance in the HectorPetersonMuseum, Soweto

Master Class Workshops:

Eric Owens (2008); Professor Alan Harler (2007); Dr. James Litton (2005); Maestro Georg Stangelberger (2004); Pamyua Yu’pik Eskimos (2004); Jeffrey Brillhart (2004); Dr. Donald Dumpson (2003, 2004,2006); Dr. David Tang (2003); Dr. Donald Nally (2001)

Television and Radio Appearances:

2008 December: WHYY Radio interview with Steven Fisher, ABC 6 and Fox 29; Comcast Holiday Spectacular

September: KYW 1060; Radio 1540 AM “ German American Show” ; July: Bulgaria National TV

June: ABC 6, 10; March: ABC 6

2007December: ABC 6, NBC 10 at 10; October: Channel 17, NBC 10; June: ABC 6, Action News; Feature story and interview in “Creatively Speaking” WRTI, Philadelphia; January: ABC 6, Comcast Channel 10

2006December: CBS 3, NBC 10’ at 10’, ABC Channel 6, CBS Ch. 3, NBC 10, NBC 10, News

November: ABC Channel 6, CBS Channel 3; June: ABC Channel 6

2005: ABC Channel 6, News at Noon and 6, KYW, NBC 10, CN8, ABC Channel 6, News at 6

2002: NBC 10 at 10 Holiday Show, Feature story on Comcast CN8, Feature story on FOX 29

Newspaper and Magazine Articles: (TBA)

KeystoneState Boychoir is administered by Commonwealth Youthchoirs, Inc., 35 West Chelten Avenue,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania19144, 215.849.1762